Which $5 lunches are best at Bin 36?

For some reason I've found myself lunching at Bin 36 (339 N. Dearborn St.) a lot lately and it's given me the chance to sample most of the River North restaurant's lunch menu.

I've also discovered their cool $5 lunch program, which (through the end of March) offers a different $5 lunch entree each week for just $5, when it normally costs $10 or more. Here's the full skedge.

After ordering a new dish each time, polling friends and sampling the food on their plates I've decided that, while almost all the dishes are worth trying for $5, some are especially worth it.

Here are the four that stand out for me: salade nicoise, egg salad, wood grilled burger and the breathtaking grilled cheese sandwich made with three cheeses, caramelized onions and truffle oil. The grilled cheese will be going for $5 next week and pairs beautfully with the chardonnay matched to it on the menu. This week's special is salade nicoise.

We were not as crazy about the bucactini carbonara or meatball sandwich, but for $5 it's hard to complain.

I'm apparently not the only one who loves this magical grilled cheese. The staff says that when the sandwich is featured on the $5 menu, you need reservations to get in for lunch--something I made sure to do before writing this item.

They also warn that it's not unheard of for a special to run out before the end of lunch service. You have been warned.